The Servant of Hatshepsut
by cheri1
Summary: Ten/Rose. The Doctor and Rose travel to Ancient Egypt to meet Hatshepsut, the female Pharaoh. Rose becomes part of her court and her and Ten soon find themselves embroiled in an assassination attempt on Hatshepsut's life.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was a quiet day on the TARDIS and Rose decided to spend a few hours exploring. In her exploration, she discovered the library. She stepped into it and looked around in awe. Not only was the library vast, bigger than most cities, but there was an Olympic sized swimming pool about twenty feet from the door. The floor in the library was wooden except around the pool where there was cement pavement all around it. The pool area had deck chairs and umbrellas and towels draped over the backs of the chairs. The library part had tables with small table lamps on them and thousands of bookcases filled with books. Rose made a mental note to come back to swim later while she stepped in and turned to look at the bookcase nearest the doorway. Above some of the bookcases were gold plaques that she realized were subject headings like MYSTERY, EARTH HISTORY, MARS HISTORY, SCIENCE and others. Rose glanced around and headed towards the Earth History section. She hoped she could borrow a book to read. The Doctor never said anything about the library so she didn't know if she could take a book but she would bring it back once she was finished.

When she got to the shelves containing books on Earth history, she noticed smaller plaques under some of the shelves that denoted further categories. Under one shelf was a plaque that indicated the books on the shelf were about the British Monarchy and she noticed that it not only included that shelf but the two shelves above it before the next plaque indicated those books were about the Russian Monarchy. She slowly walked along, reading the plaques and some of the book titles, looking for something that would strike her fancy. Five bookcases along, she found a large section of books on Ancient Egypt and stopped. She'd always been fascinated with Ancient Egypt so she perused the book titles more closely.

"Ah, a fellow book reader!"

She looked over her shoulder and smiled when the Doctor entered the room. He was carrying a small book with a blue leather bound cover. He laid the book down on one of the tables before sauntering over to her.

"Am I allowed to take a book to read?" Rose asked.

"If you promise to take good care of them."

"I will, promise," Rose said.

"Then you are allowed."

"Cheers," Rose said before turning her attention back to the books.

The Doctor came up beside her.

"Ah, Ancient Egypt, love it. Are you also a lover of Ancient Egypt?" he said to her.

"Yes," Rose said. "Ever since I was small, I've always been interested in mummies and pyramids and the artwork. Mum had a book that dad used to have on the artwork of Ancient Egypt. I used to sit on the sofa and stare at the photos for hours."

"Any particular subject strike your fancy? Perhaps I can help you narrow your search," the Doctor said.

"Well…" Rose said.

"Might I make a suggestion?"

"Please," Rose said.

The Doctor walked over to the bookcase next to her and selected a book with a white dust jacket on it. He handed it to her and she stared at the cover. There was a statue of a feminine looking Pharaoh on the cover and under it was the title of the book.

HATSHEPSUT, THE FEMALE PHARAOH.

"Seriously? A female pharaoh?" Rose said.

"Oh yes, she was one of the greatest pharaohs ever. Her twenty one year reign brought an era of peace and prosperity to Egypt. She was the regent for Thutmose the Third and was supposed to step down when he came of age. Instead, she took over power for herself until her death. Most of the statues and artwork depict her as a male. She's a very interesting woman. I thought you might like reading about her since she's a strong independent woman like you."

"Cheers, Doctor. I do want to read this," Rose said.

"Glad I could be of help. Enjoy."

He smiled when Rose gave him a quick peck on the cheek and walked out of the library with the book.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

For the next three hours, Rose sat on the sofa in the lounge and read the book, intrigued by what she was reading. In fact, the more she read, the more she wanted to meet Hatshepsut and she decided after the fourth hour to talk to the Doctor and see if they could go and meet her. She put the book on the coffee table beside the sofa and went to find the Doctor.

He was still in the library. He was sitting at one of the tables near the door, wearing his glasses and making notations on a notepad while he read from a big leather bound book. He looked busy and Rose wondered if she should bother him. But he must have sensed she was there because he looked up and smiled warmly.

"Enjoying the book?" he asked her as he took his glasses off and put them on the table.

"Yes, I love it," Rose said, walking over to him while the Doctor got up and stretched. "What are you doing?"

"Studying," the Doctor said. "There's a planet I was thinking of visiting and I wanted to go see a few cultural sites there. I was making notes on a few of them so I know what to look for. But I need a break so thanks for coming in."

"Doctor…um…"

"Yes?" the Doctor said as he put his hands on his back and stretched it.

"I was just wondering. Could we visit Hatshepsut and meet her? She sounds so fascinating. But you're wanting to visit this planet," she said, pointing to the book.

"I do but it can wait if you want to visit Ancient Egypt," the Doctor said, finishing his stretching. "I'd rather do something you want since I've seen a fair chunk of the universe. That's why I bring friends along, to take them where they want to go. If you want to meet Hatshepsut, we can do that. I can't guarantee we'll meet her but I'll try my very best. But at the very least, you can see Ancient Egypt."

"Yes, please, I want to go," Rose said.

"Brilliant," the Doctor said, picking up his glasses, pen and notepad. "Let me put these things away and use the toilet and then we'll set a course for Ancient Egypt."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Here we go, Ancient Egypt. We are in the year 1470 B.C., so it is nine years into Hatshepsut's reign," the Doctor said, reading the monitor. "We are near the city of Memphis."

He frowned in confusion. Rose noticed it.

"What's wrong?" she said.

"Memphis? Elvis was in Ancient Egypt?" he said to her with wide eyes.

"Not that Memphis, you git!" Rose said, grinning.

"Oh! Phew, for a moment I thought the king of Egypt was The King. Sorry, I'm old and senile sometimes," he said while Rose giggled. "Now…I was thinking that the best way to meet the queen is to pass ourselves off as servants looking for work and get hired at the palace."

"Like in the parallel universe," Rose said.

"Yes. That way we won't arouse suspicion while we observe. We will say that we're Greek. It's far enough away and exotic enough that most Egyptians will believe that we're from there. We obviously can't pass ourselves off as Egyptian. And Egyptians did use foreigners as servants. Do you want to do that?"

Rose nodded.

"Good. Come with me then and we'll change into some clothes more appropriate to this era."

Rose dressed in a chiton, a long flowing dress made of linen. It was dark blue. The Doctor dressed in a white toga and both of them wore leather sandals. Rose put her hair up in a tight bun. The Doctor smiled when he saw her.

"You look beautiful," he said, taking her hands.

"Didn't you say that before; when we were gonna meet Charles Dickens?" Rose teased. "Then you corrected yourself and said, for an ape or something like that, yeah?"

The Doctor snorted. He came close to her and gazed at her lovingly while he stroked her cheek.

"I'm not like him," he said softly to her. "You're not a stupid ape."

"Glad to hear it," Rose murmured as she gazed into his dark brown eyes.

"Are you scared?" he murmured as he gazed at her.

"No," Rose said, drinking in the beauty of his face.

"Well, you should be. I'm Osiris. I'm very important so you must not make me angry," the Doctor said, cupping her face with his hands.

"Wait, isn't Osiris the one that had the green face or something?" Rose said.

"Yes, he did. I ate some bad dates the day they painted my portrait and the artist painted my face green and everyone copied it from there on out."

"Yeah, right," Rose said while the Doctor grinned. "Pull the other one."

"It's true. You'll see," the Doctor said. "I am Osiris, Lord of the Underworld…and Time, Lord of Time and the Underworld," he said quickly while Rose giggled.

"Wow, you just own it all, dontcha?" Rose teased.

The Doctor grinned and nodded vigorously before kissing her forehead gently.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The Doctor opened the door and stepped outside into the sandy Sahara.

"Ooo-eee, it's a tad warm today," he said as he glanced up at the blazing sun. "Makes me miss the cool climate of our native Greece."

"If you're Greek, how can you be Osiris?" Rose said, stepping out behind him and closing the door.

"I'm Greek Osiris and I rule the Underworld!" the Doctor crowed.

"And time," Rose said.

"Yes, yes, all of that," the Doctor said, waving his hand dismissively while Rose giggled. "Where are we, Athena? That's your name. Athena," the Doctor said when Rose gave him a blank look. "You're named for the goddess of wisdom so quit acting stupid."

"Whatever you say, Zeus," Rose said.

"No, not Zeus. I am Apollon," the Doctor said.

"I thought you were Osiris," Rose said.

She laughed when the Doctor picked up a handful of sand and threw it at her while she ran away. She grabbed a handful of sand and tossed it back at him. The Doctor dodged it and stuck his tongue out while she laughed.

"Don't muck with Osiris!" the Doctor said to her.

"I thought you were Apollon," Rose said.

"I'm both. But right now I am Osiris and my wrath is formidable so beware!"

"Yeah, I'm just completely terrified," Rose said dryly.

The Doctor grinned. He leaned down, built up a small hill of sand and poked a few holes in it.

"My sand castle, like it?" he said, leaning back up and pointing down to it.

Rose giggled. She ran forward and the Doctor feigned anger when she kicked it, sending the sand up into the blowing wind.

"I built that," the Doctor said while Rose stuck out her tongue and ran away from them. "I just spent a considerable amount of time building that and your ape foot ruined it! I will mummify you for that, Athena!"

"Still not frightened," Rose teased as she stayed about ten feet away from him.

"You will be," the Doctor said, imitating Yoda. "You will be."

"Mm," Rose said. "Look, across the Nile," she said, pointing off to her left at the city of Memphis."

"I won't look until you tell me you're afraid of me," the Doctor said.

"I wonder how you get across?" Rose mused, deliberately ignoring him as she walked towards the riverbank.

"I'm not used to insouciance, Athena!" the Doctor yelled at her while Rose giggled and kept walking towards the riverbank. "I will not be ignored! I will be feared!"

"Hey, Lord of the Underworld, how do we get across the bleedin' river to the city?" Rose yelled back.

"We use the wind from your enormous gob to propel us across, that's how!" the Doctor yelled back.

"Ooo, that was low," Rose said while the Doctor sniggered. "Why don't we use the wind from your enormous bum instead, there's far more of it and it's much more powerful!"

She laughed when the Doctor turned around, bent over and pointed to his ass for a moment before straightening up and walking towards her.

"Insouciance, that's all it is, insouciance," he said to her while he walked towards her.

"Yeah, yeah, throw out more big words, maybe someday it'll actually help you sound intelligent," Rose said.

The Doctor came up beside her, stopped and gazed across the river to the huge city of Memphis. The buildings were all made of mud brick and some of them were painted with bright colors and designs. There were statues, obelisks and several large buildings near the center of the city. Here on the outskirts, there were a few women getting water from the Nile for use in their houses. One of the women noticed them as she was getting water about fifty feet away. She called to them to wait before she carried the clay pot into the house about twenty feet from the riverbank. She then walked down until she was across the river from them.

"Do you need assistance?" she yelled to them.

"Yes, we need to get across. Do you know a way?" the Doctor called back.

"Yes, my husband has a boat, wait here," she said before turning and running back to her house.

She returned several minutes later, dragging a small skiff boat made of reeds. She dragged it to the waterbank and shoved it in. She got in as the boat was floating away and picked up a long pole that was inside the skiff. She used it to maneuver the boat towards the Doctor and Rose.

"Thank you," the Doctor said when she reached them and he pulled the bow up onto the bank.

"You're welcome. You just arrived here?" she said to them.

"We did. We're looking for work," the Doctor said. "I'm Apollon and this is Athena."

"Nefer," she said, nodding. "Come inside and I'll take you to my home."

"Again, thank you," the Doctor said.

Nefer waited till they were inside and the three of them stood in the boat while she propelled it back across the lake.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Nefer led them to the house and the first thing Rose noticed was that the interior was painted in bright and vibrant colors. There were stylized lotus blossoms around the tops of the walls in the front room. The front room was a bit dark. There were narrow rectangular windows near the top of the ceiling, two on each side of the room and it provided some light but not much. There was a heavy panel of linen over the front door to keep the wind and dust out and that also kept out the light. There was wooden furniture scattered around the room, also colorfully decorated with nature scenes or scenes of mythology. The next room had more elaborate paintings on the walls, including a scene of a man, woman and child going on a boat ride in a skiff while underneath the Nile on the wall, hippos and crocodiles rested on the river bottom. Rose walked over to it and gazed at it in wonder.

"This is beautiful," she said to Nefer while the Doctor came up behind her and admired it.

"That's my husband's work. He is a painter," Nefer said, coming up beside him. "He mainly paints tombs and monuments but this was something he did to decorate our home. It's supposed to be me, him and our daughter."

"It's gorgeous," Rose said.

They moved into the back room. Part of it was the kitchen and Rose noticed a Nubian girl was cutting onions on a wooden table that was decorated with lotus blossoms. The girl looked like she was ten and she had a bald head and was naked. Off to the side of the room was a large hole in the ceiling and a wooden ladder the led up and out onto the roof. In the corner was a large reed mat on the floor and there was another table and a few chairs. Nefer asked them to sit and asked the girl who was called Nut to fetch them something to eat and drink. Rose realized with a shock that Nut was Nefer's slave. Nut went over to the reed mat and moved it. There was a hole in the ground and Nut slid into it and brought up a reed basket filled with bread and onions and a large clay pot and three clay goblets. She came up out of the hole and carried everything to the table where she'd been chopping onions. They watched while she poured thick beer from the pot into the goblets and then brought everything over to the table. She sat it in front of Rose and the Doctor. Rose thanked her and when she spoke, Nut froze and stared at her in shock. Rose wondered for a moment why she was gazing at her like that and then she realized she was staring at her blonde hair in wonderment.

"Nut!"

Nut jerked back to reality and spun around to see Nefer glaring at her.

"Get back to work before I flog you," Nefer said.

Nut bowed her head and walked back to the table. Rose seethed at the treatment of Nut while the Nubian girl hurried to put the pot back inside the hole and cover it over with the mat before getting back to her work. Nefer sat down with them and calmly ate and drank her beer while Rose watched Nut work without getting anything from the table. Rose noticed the Doctor was watching her and she guessed the anger was showing on her face.

"So, what brings you to Egypt?" Nefer said to them.

"We're looking for work," the Doctor said, taking a bit of onion from the basket. "We're traveling the world and we pay our way by working odd jobs. Do you know of any jobs around here?"

"Can you paint? They could use more painters on the tombs and monuments," Nefer said with a shrug.

"I can. I'm not sure about Athena," the Doctor said. "I can also make statues. Did many sculptures back in Athens."

"They could use that as well," Nefer said. "I'm not sure about what your wife could do, except perhaps be a servant? People always look for barbarians to hire as servants."

Rose waited for the Doctor to tell her they weren't married but to her surprise, he nodded and swallowed the onion in his mouth.

"We considered hiring ourselves out as servants but if they're looking for sculptors and painters, we could inquire about that as well."

"Well, if you wait until my husband returns from work, I could ask him to take you with him in the morning. The Pharaoh wants her summer home decorated and she always wants monuments made. That would be perfect if you're looking for temporary work."

"Splendid," the Doctor said.

Rose watched while Nut finished chopping the onions. She went back to the larder, went into it and brought up the basket. She added the onions to it and put it back, covering the hole over with the mat. Then she went up the ladder and came back down, carrying a huge reed fan. Rose was shocked again when Nut came up to the table and began to fan all of them while she watched beads of sweat trickle down Nut's forehead. She clenched her fist, her blood boiling while she noticed Nefer wasn't even paying attention to the girl or the fan. She caught the Doctor's eyes and he shook his head and mouthed, "No." to her. Rose sighed and pulled off a tiny hunk of bread, eating it in a sullen silence.

The Doctor waited until Nefer went up the ladder and onto the roof before he spoke.

"I know why you're angry but now is not the time or place for protest," he said to her.

Rose pointed to Nut who was still fanning them.

"I know but this is how life is here," the Doctor said softly. "I don't like it either but you can either start a slave rebellion and free every slave in Egypt or go meet Hatshepsut, we don't have time for both. And I will tell you, that Hatshepsut also has slaves and so do the nobles."

Rose shook her head.

"I never understood why people could do this to other people," she said, gesturing to Nut.

"Because slavery has existed here for centuries and if you're born into that system and grow up with it, that's normal to you," the Doctor said. "You come from a time when slavery is considered evil so that's how you view it. Lecturing Nefer on the evils of slavery will probably get you a blank look or she'll probably dismiss you as a crazy barbarian. Especially since Greece has slaves as well. You and me are outsiders here. We're considered barbarians which is probably one step above the slaves. You try to start an insurrection; you'll be put to death. So as detestable as it is to sit back and do nothing, at the moment, that is the wisest thing to do."

Rose nodded and sighed. The Doctor gave her a sympathetic look.

"You have so much compassion for others," he said to her. "That's one of the things I admire about you."

Rose smiled at that. The Doctor glanced at Nut and looked up at the hole in the ceiling. Rose watched while he beckoned to Nut. Nut walked to him and began to fan him. The Doctor shook his head and put his finger to his lips. He reached into a pouch that was hanging from a leather belt around his waist and pulled out a jelly baby from a small white sack. He mimed eating it and gave it to Nut. Nut examined it for a moment before putting it in her mouth. She took a bite and her eyes widened with delight. The Doctor gave her another one after glancing up at the ceiling and Nut took it eagerly and ate it while the Doctor patted her head. He glanced up again and gave her a bit of his beer to drink. Nut drank it and whispered her thanks. The Doctor nodded and put his finger to his lips.

"Our secret," he said to her.

Nut nodded and the Doctor whispered that she better get back to what she was doing before she got in trouble. He passed Nut one more jelly baby and Rose smiled at the happiness on the little girl's face when she ate the candy. Before Nefer came back downstairs, Nut was fanning them again but Rose noticed a conspiratorial look passed between the child and the Doctor while Nefer passed by them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

As the sun was going down, Nefer's husband Meritamun came home along with her daughter, Senemut. The Doctor and Rose shook hands with Meritamun before he left to wash himself and get the sweat, dust and grime off his body. Both he and his daughter had shaved heads, except Senemut had a long lock of braided hair that was known as a youth lock. The Doctor explained to Rose that all children wore them until adulthood when it was cut off in a rite of passage ceremony. She noticed that Senemut went naked while Meritamun wore a simple heavy linen kilt and Nefer wore a light linen dress. Suppper consisted of beer, onions, bread and some pieces of roasted duck that Nut helped Nefer cook over an outdoor fire. They took their supper up on the roof, under the stars and the moon and the Doctor told Meritamun the same story he'd told Nefer. Nut crouched nearby with the jug of beer and refilled it when Meritamun beckoned to her.

"We have been very fortunate this season," Meritamun was telling the Doctor while they ate. "The Pharaoh, may she live in peace and prosperity, needs work done on her palace and is commission several statues and an obelisk. If you are skilled enough, I think I can get you a job and I will inquire with the foreman if any servants are needed so Athena can find work as well," he said, nodding to Rose. "I don't think that'll be a problem though. I know that they might need priestesses for Isis, she could do that as well if she's taught how to show proper respect to the goddess and perform the sacred rites."

"Or…" the Doctor teased. "She could embalm the dead."

Meritamun sniggered at that.

"Somehow I don't think Egyptians would want a female barbarian touching their bodies," he said. "Of course, I'm not that familiar with Greece but if she was an embalmer there…"

"She wasn't, I was just joking," the Doctor said.

Meritamun smiled at that.

"Nice to know that barbarians have a sense of humor," he said. "I have met several and they seem so serious. They were very unpleasant. Most people here celebrate life and we try to laugh as often as possible. Laughter is good for the ka."

"Ka?" Rose said.

"Yes, the spirit that resides inside a human, one of the things that animate it and give it life."

"Oh, a soul," Rose said. "Yes, I agree, laughter is good for the soul."

"You know, my wife could use a bit of help around the house as well," Meritamun said. "Nut helps but she is still young and she can't do everything. Since I started painting for the tombs and monuments of the Pharaoh, may she live in peace and prosperity; we have risen in status and have been able to afford a slave to help around the house. But if you can't find work at the palace, I will pay you to help her."

"Thank you," Rose said, wishing he'd pay Nut as well.

"Apart from that, the only thing a barbarian could probably do is be a prostitute and work in the brothels," Meritamun said.

Rose eyed the Doctor when he snorted in the middle of taking a swig of beer.

"No, thanks, I'll give that a miss," she said dryly.

"Then I will ask the foreman if there is any work in the palace for you. I leave just after dawn so be ready to leave then."

"We will," the Doctor said. "And thank you."

Meritamun nodded and they continued to eat and make small talk for a few hours more.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

When it was time for bed, Nut brought up reed sleeping mats onto the roof so they could sleep out under the stars. Rose noticed that the Doctor slipped Nut a couple of jelly babies and Nut put them quickly in her mouth as she walked away. The Doctor and Rose put their mats near each other while Nefer's family did the same on the other side of the roof. Nut brought up a small mat for herself and laid it near the hole. Rose lay on her back, staring up at the stars. Without pollution or lights, the stars were vibrant and numerous and Rose thought they were beautiful.

"Up there is Nut, the goddess our little friend is named for," the Doctor said softly to her while she looked up. She arches over the land and the stars on are on her underside. Each night Ra, the sun god, rides through her insides in his solar barge and in the morning she gives birth to him. Geb is the god of the land we walk on and the god of air and Nut's father, Shu, normally stands between them and hold Nut up so she can't mate with Geb. But each evening, they come together and this causes the darkness.

He snickered when Rose made a face at that.

"Think of it, Rose, at this moment the gods are having sex and we're right in the middle of it," the Doctor said.

"Uh-huh," Rose said while the Doctor giggled. "Isn't Isis and Osiris brother and sister as well?"

"Yup."

"They're keen on incest in this country, aren't they?" she said while the Doctor sniggered.

"Well…here and now, yes. In your time, I think Egypt frowns on it," the Doctor said with a twinkle in his eyes.

He cleared his throat and intoned while Rose listened…

"Nut was married to the King of the Gods, Ra, but she was in love with Geb. When Ra found out, he was angry and said that Nut could not give birth to any children during the 360 days of the year. Nut was unhappy and asked the god of wisdom, Thoth, to help. At this time, the moon was as bright as the sun. Thoth got some light from the moon, so now the moon gets bigger and smaller each month. With this light, Thoth made five new days, so now the year is 365 days long. Nut gave birth to five children, on these five days. When Osiris, the oldest, was born, a loud voice said "The lord of all the earth is born. Which is me so you see what a distinguished lineage I have."

"Oh, shut up," Rose said while the Doctor giggled.

"You know much about the gods of Khemet, my friend," Meritamun said, raising his head to look at him.

"I studied the history of this land," the Doctor said to him. "Khemet is one of my favorite places."

"I am glad," Meritamun said with a smile.

"Khemet?" Rose whispered to the Doctor.

"Their name for Egypt. It means The Black Land because of the silt the Nile leaves behind after it floods. The name for the desert part is Deshret, which is where the word desert comes from. Deshret means The Red Land."

"Your knowledge will come in handy," Meritamun said to the Doctor. "Most of the subject matter for the tombs and monuments are of the gods and most of it is uniform, there are very few deviations. And there are specific colors that you must use and most of them have symbolism behind them. If you have knowledge of this, you can find a job easily."

"I do have knowledge of that," the Doctor said to him.

"Good. I will take you to the foreman tomorrow. You will probably have to show off some of your skills. He'll probably ask you to paint part of the tomb wall we're currently working on to show him you can do it."

The Doctor nodded.

"I'd be happy to show off my skill," he said.

"What about me?" Rose said.

"The foreman could take you to the palace and ask the vizier if you could be of use," Meritamun said. "Of course as a servant, you would be naked from the waist up."

The Doctor bit his lip to hold back his laughter when Rose widened her eyes in horror.

"Are you serious?" she said.

"I don't know what they do in Greece but here, servants must wear only a skirt to show their status."

"Slaves go completely naked, Rose," the Doctor said.

"Yes," Nefer said. "Servants are allowed to wear some clothing but slaves must go about completely naked, again to show their status."

Rose glanced back at Nut who was completely naked and felt anger all over again. She looked at the Doctor who had a bemused look on his face and she felt like slapping him. She was sure he knew about going topless when he suggested she be a servant and he was sure he was getting a private giggle out of it. She wanted to ask if she could be a painter as well but she had a feeling women weren't allowed to do it. Not for the first time, she felt the restrictions that being a female put on her and she hated it. She turned on her side and closed her eyes, trying to get some sleep. After five minutes, she opened her eyes and noticed the Doctor was now on his side, facing her while he watched her. She knew he rarely slept and he had to have something to do till the morning but she wondered what went through his head while he watched her sleep. Did he fantasize about her or did he think of loftier things?

"I could tell you more about Ancient Egypt while you try to go to sleep," he murmured to her.

"Oh…like bedtime stories?" Rose teased in a soft voice.

The Doctor shrugged. Rose closed her eyes and listened while the Doctor spoke about the myth of Isis, Osiris and Seth. Listening to his soft voice recount the myth, she felt herself slipping away into Dreamland.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Wake up, Athena!"

Rose frowned when the next thing she heard was the Doctor's voice in her ear. She opened her eyes and saw him kneeling over her.

"Wake up, time to get up and be Egyptian," he said to her.

"Don't you mean…Khemetian?" Rose said.

"Exactly. Time to be Khemetian and get up. Our friend is going to help us with our makeup," he said, nodding at Nut who was standing nearby with a small clay pot and a horsehair brush.

Rose sat up and groaned at the slight ache she had from sleeping on the hard roof. She brought her knees up and watched while Nut walked to the Doctor and knelt beside him. The Doctor slipped her another jelly baby and Nut giggled softly as she slipped it into her mouth. The Doctor bent his head down and Rose watched while the Nubian girl painted his eyes in the Egyptian style.

"What is that for, just for looks?" Rose asked him while she carefully painted around his eye.

"That and it reduces the glare from the sun," the Doctor said. "You're very good at this, aren't you?" he said to Nut.

When she was finished, he rewarded her with two more jelly babies and chuckled when she eagerly ate them.

"I'm getting you addicted to those, my little friend," he said, patting her head.

Nut turned her attention to Rose. Rose leaned in and held still while she applied the kohl makeup to her eyes. While Nut was doing that, Rose glanced at the Doctor who was kneeling behind Nut and watching. She thought the Doctor looked odd with the makeup on but in a way she thought it also accentuated his eyes and made him look sexy. When Nut was finished with Rose, the Doctor gave her two more jelly babies and laughed when Nut grinned and ate them while hurrying away with her pot and brush.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

When everyone was made up and ready, Meritamun kissed Senemut and Nefer goodbye and Rose and the Doctor followed him out of the house. They walked through narrow streets towards the palace. On the way, kids played and slaves hurried to and fro, doing their business. Rose noticed that both kids and slaves were naked but the children had the youth locks while the slaves did not. There were a few adults out, also doing their business, and some stopped to say hello to Meritamun or to stare at the strange newcomers with him. Rose was painfully aware that most of the stares were directed at her blonde hair. The Doctor, as usual, seemed unconcerned with it all and even said hello to some of the gawkers.

The palace was bigger than everything else and it was in the center of the city. The walls were painted with stylized paintings of the gods and Hatshepsut. Rose could see some scaffolding and some painters working on some of these huge figures. Meritamun pointed to the scaffolding.

"That is our work area," he said to them. "We're working on Her Majesty giving tribute to her father, Amun. That is what you'll be working on as well if you're accepted."

"Brilliant," the Doctor said.

"Meanwhile, I'll be running around topless being a dogsbody," Rose muttered under her breath.

She poked the Doctor in the back when he sniggered at that.

Meritamun led them to the worksite and pointed out the foreman. He was wearing a white skullcap with a heavy linen kilt and Rose noticed he had a bit of a bulging belly and was a bit fatter than the other workers.

"That is Thutmose," Meritamun said as they walked towards him.

Thutmose was giving instructions to workers and pointing out what he wanted done while another man with a shaved head and kilt walked beside him, writing down things on a piece of papyrus. He noticed Meritamun and smiled but he quickly frowned when he noticed the Doctor and especially Rose.

"Women are not allowed on site," he said sternly to Meritamun.

"I know, sir, but this is Athena and Apollon. Apollon wants to apply for a temporary position as painter and I wondered if you could take Athena to the vizier afterwards so she could ask if they have need of servants in the palace."

Thutmose looked her over, grunted and nodded. He looked at the Doctor and gave a disapproving look to his hair.

"I suggest you shave your head, barbarian, for hygienic purposes. Actually, both of you should do that."

The Doctor stole a quick glance at Rose and bit his lip again at the horror on her face.

"For now, though, show me what you can do," he said to the Doctor. "I want you to paint Amun's leg here," he said, walking ten feet to the right to a stylized half finished leg and foot.

The Doctor followed and accepted a pot of paint and a brush from one of the workers. Rose drew near with Meritamun and they and Thutmose watched while the Doctor expertly painted part of the leg of the god with red ochre paint. Rose glanced at Thutmose and could tell he was impressed by the Doctor's skill. After two minutes, he told the Doctor to stop and told him he had a job. The Doctor beamed and thanked him. Then Thutmose turned his attention to Rose.

"And you, you will follow me. I'll take you to see the vizier," he said to her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Thutmose walked with Rose as they went around to the front of the palace. There was a long causeway at the entrance with guards on both sides standing at attention. Each guard held a huge shield and spear and they stared out impassively at Thutmose and Rose and didn't acknowledge either one of them. The entrance was huge, nearly twenty feet high and made of wood that was painted gold. On either side of the door were stylized lotus blossoms and red and blue designs. The palace was made of limestone and it shone brilliantly in the sun. The causeway had palm trees lining either side of it which provided a bit of shade and relief to the guards. Rose felt for them. It wasn't even midmorning and already the heat was beginning to be oppressive. The sun shone down on her hair and made her feel hotter than she already was. She could see why the Egyptians shaved all their hair off.

There were two guards standing at the doors and Thutmose announced himself and his reason for visiting. One guard nodded and went inside while the other watched them. Again, Rose noticed the guard staring intently at her blonde hair but he also noticed he was glancing down at her breasts from time to time.

It took twenty minutes for the guard to return and tell them that Hatshepsut would see them now. The palace was massive. The windows were high up as in Nefer's home but there were more of them now along with lighted torches on long poles set into gold bases. The interior was also limestone and shone in the sunlight. The lotus design was also here but there were numerous paintings of Hatshepsut and the gods along with hieroglyphic writing. Most of the furniture was either wood with gold trim or pure gold. Rose was just dazzled by it. She'd only seen recreations of things like this in books and now here she was, in the flesh, walking through a Pharaoh's palace in Ancient Egypt. It left her speechless and not for the first time, grateful that the Doctor chose her to travel with him.

After fifteen minutes, they reached the throne room. The doors were twenty feet high and pointed with gold but they had etchings on them. On one side was Amun and on the other was Hatshepsut. Each time Rose saw a depiction of Hatshepsut, she was dressed as a man complete with false beard but some of the depictions showed her breasts while she was dressed as a man.

The doors were opened and Rose stepped inside with Thutmose. Without the Doctor to guide her on what to do, Rose felt a little uneasy and hoped that she wouldn't do something to offend anyone. Inside the massive throne room were potted palm trees along with the paintings and designs on the walls. At the back was a dais with two thrones on it. Sitting on one was Hatshepsut, dressed as a man. On the other was an actual man, a teenager who was dressed as she was, in kilt and cloth headdress, but without the false beard. Hatshepsut held the crook and flail in her hands, the symbol of her power. All around them were courtiers and children. The courtiers were dressed in fine linen with skullcaps while the children were naked and wore youth locks. Up near the dais was one man who looked a bit fat. He looked like he was in his thirties with a slightly lined face. He wore no skullcap and had a leopard skin draped over his shoulders. Thutmose nodded to Rose and they slowly approached the thrones. Rose watched Thutmose and when they stopped five feet from the throne and Thutmose dropped to his knees and touched the floor with his forehead, Rose did the same. She glanced at Thutmose but he didn't get up again and they stayed that way until Hatshepsut commanded them to stand.

"Your Majesties," Thutmose said. "I have brought a woman who wishes to become a servant in the palace and serve you."

Both Hatshepsut and the teenager turned their attention to Rose. Rose noticed the teen seemed a bit sullen but Hatshepsut smiled warmly while she studied her.

"Where are you from and what is your name?" Hatshepsut said to her.

"My name is Ro…Athena and I'm from Athens, Greece, Your Majesty," Rose said.

"Ah. Sadly, that land is not yet under my domain but it is nice to see someone from so far away who wishes to serve my majesty," Hatshepsut said. "Have you had any experience being a servant?"

Rose wryly thought of all the times she had to rush around getting things for the Doctor but somehow she didn't think that counted as being a servant.

"No, Your Majesty, but I'm a quick learner," she said, thinking how hard could it be.

"Very well, I have need of an attendant," Hatshepsut said. "One of mine recently died of old age. You may take her place."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"But you must shave your hair," Hatshepsut said to Rose's dismay. "You must dress as we do and you must take a Khemet name. I have trouble pronouncing Athena and I don't want to waste time struggling with your name while I am giving you a command. Is this reasonable?"

Rose figured she could always wear a wig until her hair grew back. She didn't think her mother would be thrilled to see her shaved head but she felt it was a fair trade if she could be the servant of an Egyptian Pharaoh. She told Hatshepsut she would comply and she smiled and nodded.

"Very well…" she said. "From here on, you shall be called…"

Rose waited while Hatshepsut thought that over for a moment. While she did, Rose considered asking for Isis but then wondered if that would be considered blasphemy.

"I shall call you Apet," Hatshepsut finally said with a nod. "Thutmose, please take her to see Senet, she will instruct her on her duties."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Thutmose said, bowing.

"Welcome, Apet, to our household. Serve us well," Hatshepsut said to Rose.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Rose said, relieved she hadn't managed to cock it up and end up tortured or killed.

Thutmose nodded to her and both of them headed out of the throne room.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Senet turned out to be a middle aged woman who apparently did not suffer fools. She took one look at Rose and sent for some servants to shave her head. When Rose tried to protest, Senet gave her a look that could kill a crocodile and Rose shut up. While her head was being shaved, she wondered if the Doctor was undergoing the same thing.

After getting her head shaved completely, she was dressed in a simple linen skirt that went up to her waist and a small gold colored belt that had strings of lapis lazuli going down the front of it. Rose was embarrassed and a bit chilled by being topless. She prayed the Doctor wouldn't see her like this because she could imagine him dying laughing at the sight of her.

After that, Senet followed her like a second shadow, watching her like a hawk and berating her if she didn't clean something properly or did something wrong. By the end of the day, Rose felt like slugging her. She was relieved when Thutmose came and got her and asked her to come with him. She was sore from cleaning and tired and she wondered if Thutmose came to get her so she could go back to Nefer's house. But to her horror, Thutmose took her to the Doctor who was waiting for her in an antechamber. She blushed when the Doctor's eyes bulged for a moment before a grin spread over his face and he shook with silent laughter. To her disgust, the Doctor still had a full head of hair and wasn't naked with his penis hanging out.

"So, they shear you did they, little sheep?" the Doctor said when Thutmose left the room to give them some privacy.

"I'm gonna kill ya," Rose growled at him.

"For what? I didn't know they'd do this to ya," the Doctor said.

"Oh yeah, right," Rose said. "You're enjoying this, aren't ya?"

"A bit, yeah," the Doctor said before patting her shoulder. "If it makes you feel any better, Meritamun is shaving my head tonight."

"Good. I get to sit there and laugh at ya while he's doing it."

"Um, no you won't. You're staying here," the Doctor said.

"But…"

"You're part of the queen's retinue now, you can't leave. I'm just a laborer. Laborers go home at night."

"But what if I make a mistake?" Rose said desperately.

"Oh, I'm sure someone will correct ya."

"Yeah. Her name is Senet," Rose said. "Speaking of, I have an Egyptian name now."

"Really? What is it?" the Doctor said.

"Apet."

She noticed the Doctor's amusement at that.

"Um…did you choose that for yourself?" he asked.

"No, Hatshepsut chose it for me. Why?"

"Because Apet is a hippo goddess. Maybe Hatshepsut was trying to hint at something," he said.

"Shut up," Rose said when the Doctor giggled hysterically.

"Actually, she is one of the goddesses of childbirth and supposedly she gave birth to Osiris. So…Hi, Mum!" the Doctor said.

"Like I said, shut up," Rose said.

She tried to give him an angry look when he ran his hand across the top of her shaved head but she giggled when he leaned over and kissed it.

"So, Chrome Dome, you get to serve the queen while I stand outside and sweat and paint pretty pictures," he said to her. "I'd say that's a fair trade off for a shaved head and baring your breasts…oh, and being named after a hippo goddess," he added.

"Yes, I thought that as well," Rose said.

"Well, don't worry then. Your hair and mine will grow back and most people around here are naked and semi naked so you'll get used to it. Of course, I won't let you forget Apet and what it means but I'll save that for later," he said to her. "And you'll do just fine. I trust you and you're more than capable of handling the situation. If you didn't, I wouldn't let you travel with me."

"Just be careful and take care of Nut. Don't let them beat her," Rose said.

The Doctor smiled at that and nodded. He glanced at the doorway and saw Thutmose peeking in.

"Better go now but I'll see you around," the Doctor said. "I might not get to see you every day but I'll check in on you from time to time. And don't worry, this won't last forever. Probably a few days and we'll tell them we'd rather not do it anymore and move on. Sound okay?"

"A few days is all I think I could manage. Cleaning this place is hell," Rose said.

"Try painting it," the Doctor said.

He kissed Rose's forehead and wished her luck. Rose rolled her eyes when he ran his hand over her bald head one more time before giving her hand a squeeze. Rose watched with a sigh as the Doctor left her and walked out of the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Rose was given a low wooden bed in the servant's quarters with other women. Most of the women were foreigners and thanks to the TARDIS, Rose was able to talk to them and learn their stories. Although she was amused that the women were so amazed she could speak all their languages fluently. Since everyone in the room was topless, Rose soon got over her self conscious reaction to it and after awhile, ignored it since everyone else did. She did find that it was more comfortable in the stifling heat. Most of the women filled her in on their duties and what was expected of her. They also had some interesting stories about Hatshepsut and the royal court and she learned that the teenager sitting beside Hatshepsut was her nephew Thutmose the Third. Rose found it interesting that the foreman had the same name but she figured he might have been named for Thutmose the First or Second.

The beds had no pillow and only a thin piece of linen to cover up with. Rose looked at the ivory headrest that was supposed to support her neck while sleeping and figured it would be uncomfortable but it actually made her more comfortable by giving her neck the support it needed and despite her earlier misgivings about it, she fell asleep quickly.

The next morning, Senet came into the room before dawn and announced loudly that they needed to get up and begin their duties. Rose stored her linen blanket and neck rest in a small wooden box under her bed. She freshened up and tried as best she could to apply the kohn eye makeup. One young girl from Nubia noticed her fumbling with it and offered to help. Her name was Tawaret and she was near Rose's age, although she said she'd been serving the royal court for ten years. She had her head shaved like everyone else but she was tall, thin and angular and Rose still thought she was beautiful. She bonded with the young Nubian and Tawaret took her around and they did their duties together.

Towards the end of the day, they were cleaning a huge room together. There was polished wooden and gold furniture which they had to keep polished in addition to sweeping the floor and cleaning the little knickknacks on the tables. There was a huge painting on the wall of Amun behind Hatshepsut, Amun's hand on his daughter's shoulder while she smiled beatifically. There were also several windows, once again positioned up near the ceiling. Rose was polishing a golden table that had lion feet under one of the windows while Tawaret swept the floor with a straw broom.

"You missed a spot."

Rose jerked her head up when she heard the Doctor's voice above her and saw him peering into the window above her. She noticed his head was now shaved.

"You missed a spot," he repeated, pointing down at the table.

"Oh, shut up," Rose said.

"Greetings, my friend," the Doctor said while Tawaret turned to see who was talking. "I'm having a rest, taking a break from painting and I peeked into this window and lo and behold…"

"My God, we're on the third floor," Rose said while Tawaret walked up.

"Tell me something I don't know," the Doctor said. "This painting is huge. I'm working on Hatshepsut's white linen dress. They gave me something easy to do, probably because I'm new. I see you made a friend in the meantime."

Rose introduced Tawaret to him and the Doctor waved.

"Greetings. I'm Apollon," he said to her. "Nice to meet you."

"And you," Tawaret said.

"We're doing our duties together," Rose said. "She's showing me around."

"See, you didn't need me, you found someone else to help you," the Doctor said.

"And I notice you got shorn too, little sheep," Rose said.

"Yes, Meritamun did it last night. Hated to lose my lovely locks but actually, this is more comfortable. My hair isn't heating my scalp up. Plus, it's a bit more hygienic. They had a problem with fleas and lice here which is part of the reason they shaved. So I suppose I can't get a giggle off your Sinead O'Connor look any longer."

"The servants here seem to have the easier jobs than the slaves," Rose said to him. "We're just cleaning. I noticed a few slaves were dirtier than we are. Tawaret said a few of them are sent to the quarries to mine the blocks for the monuments and some are sent to clean the stables. We're lucky, compared to them."

"Tawaret, how did you come to work at the palace?" the Doctor said to her.

"I was sent here by my father when I was eight. My father was a chief of my tribe and he sent me to demonstrate his loyalty to the Pharaoh."

"And because your father was important, they made you a servant rather than a slave," the Doctor said.

Tawaret nodded.

"I think that's part of the reason people are separated into the two different classes," the Doctor said. "I'm assuming most of the slaves were probably taken in battle at some point and servants volunteer to work or are tribute like Tawaret."

"The ones I've seen are mistreated as well," Rose said. "They've beaten some of the slaves. Makes me think of Nut."

"She's alright. I looked after her. I gave her the last of my jelly babies though. I'll have to sneak back to the TARDIS and get another bag for her. I can't do much for her at the moment but at least I brought a bit of happiness into her daily routine…"

He turned his head around when Rose heard someone yelling at him. He groaned and turned his head back to the window.

"Sorry, girls, gotta get back to work. You better do the same but it was nice having this chat."

"Be careful, Doctor, don't fall off," Rose said.

"I will, believe me, I'm being very careful walking around up here. The scaffolding is wooden so I'm watching where I step. But they're looking for people to do some painting indoors so I'm going to ask if I can do it so I can see you more often. But for now…cheers, my friends."

He waved goodbye and Rose and Tawaret did the same. Rose sighed as he moved away from the window. Tawaret was good company but she missed him and wished he was beside her so they could tease each other and talk while they worked. Tawaret turned away and went back to sweeping the floor while Rose went back to polishing the table.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

At the end of the day, Rose went back to the room without Tawaret and called for the Doctor. To her relief, he was still there and came back to the window.

"Heading home?" Rose said to him.

"Um…" the Doctor said, glancing up. "About another half hour, I think. But we are finishing what we're doing and then I have to clean my brushes and store everything for tomorrow. Mertiamun says hello. He's working on Amun so he's on another scaffold but I met him at lunch and told him about our conversation. He actually liked you, him and Nefer, so he said to take care of yourself. Oh and Senemut, their child, is quite friendly. She helps her mother and Nut from time to time when she's not out playing with her friends. Have to say though; it's not the same without you there. I keep thinking of something to say to you and you're not there. I hate it."

"So do I," Rose said. "The other servants are friendly enough but I miss having a giggle with you."

"Really?" the Doctor said happily. "I feel the same way. Nice to know I'm being missed by you."

"I have to attend a banquet tonight," Rose said.

"Oh? Blast, that sounds like fun," the Doctor said.

"I have to play a musical instrument."

"Really? Which one?"

"I told them I didn't know how to play one so they gave me a tambourine, I suppose they think I can't cock that up," she said.

"Well, you can if you have no rhythm," the Doctor said.

"I wish you were coming to it," Rose said wistfully.

"You just miss me in every way, don't you?"

"Yes," Rose said, nodding.

The Doctor beamed at that.

"I miss you as well," he said fondly. "I wish I could come tonight but I doubt they let the laborers attend palace functions. But I'll be thinking of you and I'll tell Nut you said hello. But I better go now, Rose. I gotta put my supplies away and meet Meritamun down on the ground. Good luck with the banquet."

"Good night, Doctor."

"Good night, Rose."

Rose watched while he moved away from the window. She sighed again, longing for him to be with her while she turned and headed out of the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Rose changed into a fresh linen skirt for the banquet. She also had to wear a gold collar that fastened at the back of her neck and draped down the front to just above her breasts. Two Isis were etched into the collar, her arms outstretched with feathers on them, making her arms into wings. One wing formed the back of the collar while the other wing touched the tip of the opposite Isis on the front. There were inlaid stones that colored Isis's dress, hair and wings. Rose thought it was beautiful but it was pure gold and it was extremely heavy. She also was required to put on a black wig that weighed a ton and made her sweat. Then she had to put a solid gold band around the wig to hold it in place and last but not least, she had to put a small rounded cone of perfumed fat on top of the wig that was tied on and secured by a small piece of twine that went under her chin.

Rose frowned at the cone when Tawaret brought it to her and told her where it went.

"Why?" she said to her.

"Because this will keep you cool and perfumed. The fat will melt and drip down on your skin throughout the evening."

"Are you joking? I'm going to have fat dripping down from my head while I play?" Rose said in disbelief.

"All the women must wear one," Tawaret said.

Rose groaned as she took the tiny lump of fat from her. She was thankful the Doctor wouldn't be at the banquet while Tawaret helped her put the fat on top of her head and tied it under her chin before she did the same with her own cone of fat.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

By the time, she entered the massive banquet hall, the fat was already melting and driving her crazy as thin rivulets of smelly perfumed fat dripped through the wig onto her skin. And since the other musicians were wearing one, the smell was so intense Rose felt like puking.

The banquet room was more of a relaxed setting than the throne room. It had a dais with thrones and a long wooden table that held the food but the majority of the room was covered with plump pillows where people could recline and eat off gold plates and drink from gold goblets. The musicians sat near the thrones along with several servants who were going to be dancers. Slaves would do the serving and refilling of the food and clean up afterwards. Rose's stomach was growling, she hoped that the servants were allowed to eat a little something, at least after everyone else had finished. The other musicians were preparing and tuning up their instruments but since she only had her tambourine with her, she was the first to take her place.

She assumed it was dignitaries that were attending but to Rose's surprise, it was the laborers that had worked on the palace. Hatshepsut was throwing them a banquet as a way to thank them for their services. And lo and behold, the Doctor had been invited. And…the first thing he did when he entered the room was look for her. He found her immediately since she told him she was going to be with the musicians and Rose waved at him, hoping he wouldn't make a comment about the dripping fat going down her half naked body. He sauntered over to her while the other laborers came into the room. He had cleaned himself up and was wearing a fresh linen kilt, white skullcap and a narrow gold collar around his neck. Rose thought he looked handsome that way, especially since the eye makeup made him look very Egyptian. At the moment she was still by herself so she was glad she could have a moment alone with the Doctor.

"Greetings, I got to attend after all," the Doctor said when he came up to her. "It was in honor of everyone who worked on the…"

Then Rose sighed when the Doctor froze and stopped midsentence, got a whiff of the perfume and made a face before quickly backing away.

"Bloody hell, that reeks!" he said, holding his nose. "Phew. What did they do to you, Rose? You smell like you bathed in a barrel of perfume. Ugh!"

"It's this stupid cone of fat, it's dripping all over me," Rose said, pointing to it. "And believe me, it's worse when all the women are sitting together."

"Okay, activating my respiratory bypass for the remainder of the night," the Doctor said. "Although…"

He ventured over and got a quick whiff of the perfume before shutting his breathing down.

"Smells like frankincense," he said to her. "I think. It's so strong, I can't be sure because it's overwhelming me. Oh, you poor lamb, having to smell that rubbish perfume all night long."

"And have it drip down me," Rose said, pointing to the rivulets of fat going down her breasts.

She then realized perhaps that was the wrong thing to do since the Doctor was now staring intently at her breasts for a moment before he remembered himself and jerked his head upwards again.

"So, where is Tawaret?" the Doctor said.

"She plays the harp so she's tuning it up and getting it ready. All I do is beat this thing," she said, holding up her tambourine, "so there's not much for me to do except smell."

The Doctor chuckled.

"Well, the laborers are presenting Her Majesty with a carved statue of herself as a gift. I had nothing to do with it but since I'm one of them now I have to do the presentation with everyone else. They're getting it ready so I came in to say hello and tell you I was here. Supposedly, we're having a sumptuous banquet tonight."

"Yes, wish I was a part of it. I'm hungry," Rose said.

"Well, I'll try to sneak you something while I'm dancing with the dancing girls."

"Gee thanks. I get to eat and watch you gyrate with the tarts," Rose said dryly.

"Well, I could throw a roast duck at your head and yell, "Here ya go, Rose! Bon appetite!" if you prefer.

"No, I prefer the sneaky way," Rose said while the Doctor chuckled.

"Damn, I would have loved to see you duck the duck," the Doctor said.

"Whatever," Rose said, rolling her eyes while he giggled.

"You look beautiful," the Doctor said. "A little greasy and smelly but beautiful all the same."

"Thanks, you look handsome," Rose said, her heart filling with love for him at the compliment.

The Doctor looked over when Meritamun entered the room.

"They're getting the statue ready, my friend," he said to him.

"Okay, be there in a minute. Here's Athena," he said, gesturing to Rose.

Meritamun's face lit up when he saw her.

"Ah, I wonder what became of you. Are you well?" he said to her.

"Yes but I don't like being greasy and smelly," Rose said.

"I know. I never understood that either to be honest," Meritamun said. "It's something the royal court does. My sympathies, young Athena, it smells horrible to be honest. Not you, that…stuff that's dripping down you."

"Tell me about it," Rose said, wishing she had the Doctor's bypass system.

They looked over when the other musicians began to file into the room, holding their instruments.

"We better go get ready," Meritamun said to the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded.

"Good luck. I'll keep my eye on you," he said to Rose.

Rose nodded and the Doctor squeezed her hand before he followed Meritamun out of the room.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

After the presentation of the statue, a ten foot granite statue of Hatshepsut that to Rose seemed no different than the hundreds of others she'd seen in the city and the palace, the banquet began. The food on the table included roast duck, gazelle and zebra, fruits, bread, onion and wine. Rose played the tambourine, watching while the slaves carried plates laden with food to the guests and filled their goblet with wine poured from gold jugs. There were about two hundred guests and the heat of the evening combined with all the body heat of the guest made it unbearable for Rose. The cone was now half melted and she was sticky, greasy and miserable but she played on, watching with envy while the Doctor reclined with several men, eating, chatting and laughing with them. Luckily for her, the music was simple and Rose found she could keep time with her tambourine. She watched the dancing girls wiggle and shake and do acrobatic moves but most of the men seemed not to notice them which made Rose wonder what was the point of having them in the first place.

Then she found out what the point was when the dancers eventually went to some of the men and lay with them while the men fondled and caressed them. A few slaves were forced to do this as well which made Rose angry. She knew she was looking at everything with a twenty first century perspective but the women were being treated as sex objects and barely acknowledged, except to be felt up by the partying men. Only Hatshepsut was spared but even she and Thutmose on their thrones looked bored and sleepy.

Then Tawaret signaled to Rose that it was time for them to take a break and eat something. Thankful for that, Rose laid her tambourine on the pillow she'd been sitting on and walked through the crowd of men to the banquet table. She was perusing the selections when she felt a hand on her back. For a split second, she thought it was one of the horny men come to fondle her until the Doctor stepped up beside her and Rose relaxed when she realized it was his hand on her back.

"The zebra is surprisingly good," he said, pointing it out. "Tastes like chicken."

"Doesn't everything?" Rose said with a wry grin.

"Perhaps," the Doctor said with a winning smile that made Rose's heart melt along with the cone of fat.

He had his empty plate in his hand and Rose took a fresh plate from the end of the table and helped herself to some food.

"Come sit with me," the Doctor murmured in her ear once he refilled his plate.

Rose finished putting food on her plate. She turned and noticed the Doctor had made a place for her by his side. She looked around the room for Tawaret and noticed she was near the back being felt up by someone who looked very drunk. She stopped for a moment to look at her friend. She was laughing and seemed to be having a good time and enjoying it but all the same it still depressed Rose that her friend was sold into servitude just to demonstrate loyalty to some pampered, bored person. The Doctor smiled when she put her plate down inside a ring of pillows that the men had made. She lay beside the Doctor on her stomach and looked around. She didn't see any goblets on the table but she realized that the slaves were bringing them out since a young girl who couldn't be more than five was carefully bringing one over to her. Her head was shaved and she was light brown. Rose guessed she was Egyptian but she figured she probably was from another country since she couldn't fathom the Egyptians enslaving their own children. The child wordlessly sat the goblet down by her plate and Rose thanked her. She tried to give the child a bit of meat but the child ignored her, turned and walked away. Rose sighed and shook her head at the injustice of it all.

She felt the back of the Doctor's hand against her cheek and she turned to look at him.

"They're trained not to accept handouts, Rose. Sorry," he said with a sympathetic look.

"It's not fair," Rose said, shaking her head.

"No, it's not," the Doctor said softly. "And I would do the same thing if I were in your shoes but I caution you about doing something like that openly. You're not exactly high up on the totem pole and you could get in trouble for an act of kindness like that. You could get sacked or have something much worse happen to you, especially if they think you're trying to get the slaves to rebel, so do that sort of thing when no one's watching, yeah?"

Rose nodded and the Doctor smiled and patted her shoulder. He continued to chat with the men while Rose ate. Rose was eating some of the duck meat when she suddenly felt the Doctor's hand going down her back to her butt. She stopped chewing and looked at him but he was talking to the man beside him while he was doing it. He didn't reach her butt and instead put his hand on her arm while he talked and rubbed that. It took her a moment to realize that he was pretending to do what everyone else was doing, fondling the servant girls while talking. She figured he was doing this because it gave her an excuse to be with him and to show that she was with him in case someone else got the same idea. He didn't touch her private parts or breasts and Rose actually enjoyed the caresses while she ate. She also heard him make a few lewd comments about her and her body but she didn't mind that either since she heard the other men doing the same and she knew he was pretending to fit in. It was only when the tipsy man next to her put his hand on her ass that the Doctor got possessive and told the man that she was his and to find his own girl. Rose glanced at the other man and figured he was barely out of his teens. She looked at the Doctor, saw the warning look on his face and felt the other man remove his hand from her ass with a muttered apology. After that, there was no more trouble from the others and the Doctor and Rose ate while the Doctor randomly touched her body and chatted.

It was only when Rose cleared her plate and went to get a bit more that the Doctor came up beside her at the table and apologized. She smiled when the Doctor explained his reasons for touching her body in public.

"I know what you're doing, Doctor. That's why I let you do it," she said, holding up her hand to silence him.

"Well, the main purpose of calling the women over is to have a bit of a fondle. It would look strange if you were laying there and I didn't touch you. I'm glad you're not angry with me."

"Doctor, we've touched each other before like that," Rose said.

"Not in public, that's something we do when we're alone and I was afraid you would be offended if I did that in front of those other blokes."

"Nah, wouldn't be the first time I've been fondled in public," Rose said, waving her hand dismissively. "I had a couple of boyfriends before I met ya who liked a bit of a feel up under my bra while we were outside. I'm just glad you stopped that one boy before he went too far."

"Well, unlike me, he was probably serious about fondling you and then some," the Doctor said. "I don't know what goes on after the banquet but I'm sure a few of these men probably have sex with the servants and slaves. Your friend might end up in bed with one, come to think of it," the Doctor said, pointing to Tawaret. "I don't know if they'll let laborers stay in the palace overnight but I'm sure the nobility takes advantage of it. Maybe even Thutty over there has a bit of a go," he added, nodding his head at Thutmose on the throne. "Can't be much for him to do since Hat runs the show."

"But is that all he does? Just sit?" Rose said softly while they pretended to add some more food to their plates. "I've only seen him sit on that throne. What does he do all day?"

"Well, he was supposed to rule but Hat took care of that for him," the Doctor said softly after glancing over his shoulder. "He is the head of her armies though so he does have a position."

"But isn't he resentful of Hatshepsut taking over?" Rose said softly. "He's the rightful ruler, yeah?"

The Doctor looked over his shoulder. He turned around and stroked Rose's cheek.

"Keeping up appearances, just in case," he said softly to her while she nodded. "Hatshepsut was regent to him until he was a bit older and could rule. He was just a kid when Thutmose the Second died. That was Hatshepsut's brother and husband so she took over and ruled in his name until he was old enough."

"Incest again," Rose quipped.

"I think you'll find incest is quite common among Ancient Egyptian royalty," he said to her as he rubbed her arm. "As for rightful ruler, Hatshepsut was the wife of the Pharoah, he's her nephew so she has a closer tie to the throne than he does."

"But she's a woman so she would have been passed over if Thutmose had been a bit older," Rose said.

"Yes," the Doctor said, picking up his plate and picking through a few dates on it. "And you would think he would be bitter but he wasn't. Hatshepsut actually did a lot of great things and brought peace and prosperity to the kingdom for twenty two years. The two of them actually got along. If they didn't, Hat would have never let Thutty lead her armies. And he didn't start defacing her statues and monuments until almost twenty years after her death. And his mortuary temple is right next to hers."

"So why did he do it?" Rose said softly.

"Supposedly, it's because he did it to legitimize his future son's claim to the throne since Hatty had relatives that had a better claim to it. It was all down to politics, nothing more than that."

"So the stuff you're painting now will be defaced later on," Rose teased.

"Yeah, but I'll be long gone by then so who cares," the Doctor teased back.

"Nice to know he doesn't hate his aunt then," Rose said.

"Nah, I don't think so, I think they got on well in life. It's the people of the future who assumed things," the Doctor said. "But now that we've had our little history lesson, we better rejoin the others before people get suspicious…or hungry."

Rose chuckled. She picked up her plate and followed the Doctor back to their pillows.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

After the party, Hatshepsut and Thutmose the Third retired to their sleeping chambers. To Rose's delight, the men were allowed to spend the night as a reward for their services. Rose stayed close to the Doctor, to be with him but also because most of the men were completely drunk and very horny. Most of the servants and slaves had been spoken for, including a few male servants, Rose noticed. The Doctor fended off several men who tried to claim Rose as their own and that was another reason she stayed near him. Given the way men treated the help in the palace, she was terrified that someone might pull her into a dark room or corner and rape her.

Rose waited while the Doctor said goodbye to Meritamun. Unlike most of the men, he was going home to his family and Rose was glad that their friend was opting to be a family man and not sleep with half a dozen women. She said goodbye to him as well before he left for the night. After that, they and the others followed the servants and slaves to a large communal sleeping chamber. Pillows had been laid down since there weren't enough beds for everyone. The Doctor kept Rose close and chose a spot near the door in case they needed to get out quickly. Rose noticed most of the servants were taking off their wigs and the remains of their cones and with relief, she slid the heavy wig and smelly cone off and put it in the corner. She looked at her skin and grimaced. They didn't offer anyone showers and she was still greasy and smelly. She supposed most of the people in the room didn't care but she did. She hated feeling like this but she had no choice so she walked over to the Doctor who was lying on his stomach on a few of the pillows.

"I feel like a greased pig now," Rose muttered to the Doctor while she lay down beside him on her stomach. "Ugh, this is disgusting. I'm all gross and I reek. I need a shower badly."

"Yeah, you do," the Doctor said, holding his nose. "But I'll tolerate you for tonight."

Rose looked around. A few men and servants were lying near them and there were others in the room but less than Rose figured there would be. She figured most men went home for the night since the majority of the men were all young, teens and early twenties by the look of them. She figured the older ones opted to go home to their families like Meritamun did. She knew the Doctor stayed awake at night and that comforted her. She knew he would watch over her and make sure she was unharmed so she folded her arms in front of her and laid her chin on it. The Doctor rubbed her back and Rose tried to ignore the giggling and groans and moans of some of the others while they had sex.

"I'm here, Rose, no one will hurt you," the Doctor said.

Rose smiled.

"I know, Doctor," she murmured as exhaustion and sleep began to overtake her.

The Doctor's caresses soothed her to the point that she finally closed her eyes and surrendered to sleep.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Rose frowned in her sleep. She felt someone shifting around and she hoped it was the Doctor. As she came up out of a deep sleep, she heard the Doctor vehemently protesting that he didn't want to and she forced her eyes open. The Doctor was now on his side, his back pressed up against her which is why she woke up. She looked over and was shocked to see Thutmose the Third was kneeling beside the Doctor with a lustful look in his eyes. She looked him over. There was torchlight on the walls and the room was a bit dim but she could tell he was very drunk. The Doctor had his hands up in front of him.

"I'm not interested in you," the Doctor was saying to him.

"But you are beautiful," Thutmose slurred as he tried to put his hands on the Doctor's chest. "And I am royalty, you cannot deny me."

"I don't care what you are, I'm not interested in you," the Doctor said.

"Leave him alone!" Rose said, raising the front half of her body up.

"Rose, no, keep silent!" the Doctor said to her while Thutmose stared at her in shock.

"You dare to address me, Barbarian?" he said angrily.

Rose realized the Doctor was right. In her haste to defend the Doctor, she forgot her place in the palace.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," she said, trying to repair the damage she did before she or the Doctor ended up harmed or dead.

"She's drunk, Your Majesty, please forgive her," the Doctor said. "And she's a barbarian; she isn't used to being submissive."

"In your country, you speak to royalty in this manner?" Thutmose said to the Doctor while pointing to Rose.

"In our country, we have no royalty. We have a senate, a body of men who make decisions," the Doctor said. "We have no protocol for dealing with royalty."

_Especially drunk, randy ones,_ Rose thought to herself.

But to her relief, Thutmose was backing off and the Doctor lowered his hands when he noticed the same. Rose looked around at the others in the room but everyone else was either asleep after having sex or too drunk to notice that the Pharaoh Regent was in the room. She was just glad Thutmose didn't come after her since she was sure the Doctor wouldn't have shown the same restraint he did when it was only his body being threatened. Thutmose was sitting beside them, not doing anything at the moment so Rose relaxed.

"I've never been anywhere," Thutmose said. "I didn't even leave the palace until a few years ago. I grew up behind these walls."

"As the ward of your aunt," the Doctor said.

Thutmose nodded. He didn't say anything to the Doctor about talking back to him but Rose figured it was because he was a man and maybe because the Doctor just told him that they didn't have any experience dealing with royalty back in Greece. But when she looked at him now, she saw a lonely little boy rather than a horny, haughty emperor and she felt for him. She kept quiet though since she figured Thutmose still didn't like being talked to by a woman who didn't know her place.

"It must be interesting being a laborer," Thutmose said, glancing at the Doctor. "At least you get to create something. I sit most of the time, except when I'm out reviewing the troops."

Rose was fascinated by this. Thutmose was visibly drunk and she figured that's why he was being so open with the Doctor. She hadn't been in the palace for very long but she couldn't imagine Hatshepsut sitting down with her and talking openly like this. It also floored her that moments ago, Thutmose was trying to rape the Doctor and now the two of them were having a heart to heart in a room filled with drunken, snoring partiers. She lay there listening while Thutmose poured out his heart to the Doctor about being raised most of his life behind palace walls and the Doctor's sympathetic responses. After awhile, Thutmose rose and left the room and the Doctor lay back down.

"What was that all about?" Rose said softly to him.

"I believe that was a lonely soul trying to find a sympathetic ear," the Doctor said to her.

"So he found you?" Rose said.

The Doctor shrugged. But Rose had witnessed it before after thinking about it. People seemed to pour their hearts out to the Doctor and tell him things they normally wouldn't tell others. He could get the most stubborn person to talk to him. He had a talent for getting people to open up to him and Rose figured Thutmose was no different. But perhaps Thutmose recognized another lonely person and that's why he was so eager to talk to the Doctor about his troubles. She figured no one in the palace probably gave a damn, certainly not his aunt. She became more sympathetic to the young boy after that.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

The next morning, the Doctor and Rose got up with the rest of the laborers. Most the men in the room had intense hangovers and some of the women did too. Rose watched while Tawaret walked over to her, rubbing her head and wincing.

"Headache?" Rose said while the Doctor stood beside her and watched them.

"Yes. I'll have to go to the apothecary before I start my duties this morning," she said. "You look unaffected."

"I didn't have that much to drink," Rose said.

"And the man from the window," Tawaret said as she looked at the Doctor.

"Nice to finally meet you face to face, Tawaret," the Doctor said, bowing his head.

"So you slept with her last night?" Tawaret said, nodding at Rose.

"Yes, we're old friends," the Doctor said.

They watched while a young muscular man came up behind Tawaret, grabbing her from behind and squeezing her breast while she giggled. He kissed her cheek and whispered to her that he had a wonderful time before letting go and leaving the room. Tawaret blushed at that.

"He was the man I spent the night with," she said, gesturing to the doorway. "He was very nice."

The Doctor accompanied the women as they headed for the doorway. Rose noticed a few palace guards were now standing there but she figured they were probably there to make sure everyone left the room and didn't hide under the pillows. But when they got to the door, the guards crossed their spears and blocked the door just after Tawaret went outside.

"You and you, you are to come with us," one of the guards said as he pointed to the Doctor and Rose. "You, go!" he said, turning to Tawaret who was staring at her friends with confusion. "This is no concern of yours!"

"I'll see you later, Tawaret," Rose said to her, trying to calm her fears since her confusion had now turned to worry and dismay.

Tawaret nodded and hurried away. The guards uncrossed their spears and beckoned for the Doctor and Rose to follow them.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Rose's heart raced as they followed the guards down the corridor. She kept thinking why they were being escorted by armed guards and she finally concluded that it must be Thutmose the Third. He must have told them that she spoke to him out of turn or the Doctor refused his advances and now they were being punished for it.

They were led to the throne room which confirmed Rose's suspicions. She glanced at the Doctor who looked calm at usual. She wondered if anything ever fazed him. She took his hand and he looked at her and smiled as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. When they entered, Hatshepsut and Thutmose the Third were sitting on their thrones waiting for them. The guards followed them as they walked towards the thrones and both she and the Doctor prostrated themselves before the royals, waiting for the signal to get up. When it was given, Rose stood and stayed near to the Doctor in case they had to fight their way back out.

"My nephew has told me a few things about last night," Hatshepsut said to them.

_Oh God, here it comes_, Rose thought. _We're about to be sentenced to death or enslavement._

But to her surprise, Hatshepsut informed them that her nephew wanted her and the Doctor to be promoted and become their personal servants. Rose was stunned but the Doctor acted like he knew it all along and bowed deeply. Rose quickly did the same and thanked them.

"Apparently, my nephew was impressed by you last night," Hatshepsut said to them. "And you have done an excellent job in your duties," she said to Rose.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Rose said.

"This is a great honor for you both," Hatshepsut said.

The Doctor and Rose both thanked her.

"And now I wish both of you to accompany us on an expedition to Punt," Hatshepsut said. "I wish to learn more about the land and to visit with King Parahu and Queen Ati and receive tribute from them. My vizier and advisors will watch over Khemet in my absence. Please prepare for it will be a long journey. That is all I have to say. Meet us in here in one hour."

Both the Doctor and Rose bowed deeply before leaving the room with the guards. Rose was thrilled that the Doctor would be with her again and they could share the adventure as a team. The Doctor seemed a bit sad though.

"I wish I could get a message to Meritamun and his family," he said while they walked.

Rose realized this was the reason for his melancholy. She hadn't known them as long as he did, only staying one night at the house but she missed Nut and hoped she'd be treated well. The Doctor looked at the guard to his right and asked about sending a message to the foreman to give to Meritamun.

"You have one hour if you wish to visit him and give him a message," the guard said to him.

"I'm going to do that, Rose, so he knows where I went. I'll meet you in the throne room.

Rose nodded and the Doctor gave her hand a squeeze before he went a separate way. Rose went back to the servant quarters and found Tawaret there. She told her what happened and she could tell her friend was envious.

"She said to prepare for the trip so what do I take?" Rose said to her. "I only have this dress and my sandals."

"Take your blanket and headrest," Tawaret said, pointing to the small box under her bed. "Most servants sleep on the deck of the ship, you will need them for comfort."

Rose nodded and pulled the box out from under her bed. Tawaret went to her bed and pulled out her box. She took a linen dress out of it and gave it to her.

"You might need this," Tawaret said, giving it to her. "Sometimes they require you to dress for formal occasions and you need a proper dress for that."

Rose was glad they required her to dress in something that would cover her breasts, even though going topless now felt natural to her and no longer gave her any concern. Tawaret hugged her and wished her luck. Rose did the same, hoping her new friend would fare well after she left both the country and the time period. Tawaret helped her reapply her makeup and after one more hug, she walked back to the throne room to wait for the Doctor.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

After reuniting with the Doctor who was carrying a small wooden box of his own, they followed the royals and their retinue out of the palace. They went out the back down another short causeway to a short dock on the Nile. There was a huge wooden ship docked there. The trim of the ship was painted gold and there was a protective Eye of Horus painted on the front of the ship. On the deck was a large linen canopy with two small thrones underneath it. There were several crewman on the deck, waiting for them, all of them wearing heavy linen kilts and white skullcaps. There was a long section cut out in the side of the ship and long oars protruded from it. Rose quickly counted twenty oars on their side as a gangplank was lowered to the dock. Before they boarded some slaves spread flower petals down on the gangplank and dock and made a path from them up to the thrones. Hatshepsut and Thutmose ignored them while they stepped regally up the gangplank. The crew on the deck prostrated themselves as they went past and didn't get up again until they were seated.

"Ready the ship and set sail," Hatshepsut commanded them.

"Yes, Your Majesty," a middle aged man said before he barked orders to the rest of the crew.

The crew scrambled to pull up the gangplank and get the boat moving. Most of the servants went below and the slaves picked up fans and began fanning the royals. Rose looked at the Doctor.

"What do we do?" she asked him.

"We go below for the moment, I imagine," he said with a shrug.

They started to go over to the hatch that led down to the lower levels when Hatshepsut called them over.

"Stay with us," she said to them.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the Doctor and Rose said in unison.

Hatshepsut commanded a few slaves to fetch some pillows for them from below deck. By now the boat had left the dock and the rowers on either side guided it down the river. It was a hot day but there was a light breeze and the spot under the shaded canopy made being on the deck bearable. Hatshepsut asked them a few questions about Greece and Rose let the Doctor answer. She remembered a few things from school but the Doctor knew more detailed things she didn't so she let him talk while she watched the desert pass by. She could see a few stone mortuary temples far out in the desert as they passed by. She was aware that the Doctor had finished speaking and had come up beside her, putting his hand on her back. Rose glanced at him and he smiled lovingly.

"Enjoying the view, Apet?" he said to her.

"Not really, it's mainly sand," Rose said.

"Yes, but there are a few tombs to break up the monotony of sand," the Doctor teased.

"Where is Punt anyway?" Rose said. "I've never heard of it."

"I believe it's in the area of Saudi Arabia," the Doctor said.

"So we're going from sand to more sand then," Rose said.

"Well," the Doctor sniffed, "that's a bit de rigueur around here. Sand, tombs and camels. See, not everyplace can be like Coventry."

"And that's a bad thing?" Rose said while the Doctor giggled.

"I'm just trying to broaden your horizons, Apet," the Doctor said, putting his arm around her. "Come with me."

Rose walked with him to the side of the ship.

"This," he said dramatically, "is Egypt."

"No, really?" Rose said.

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "Bye now."

Rose laughed when he turned and started to walk away from her.

"No, come back and tell me more about Egypt," Rose said.

She laughed when the Doctor froze and jerked his head around.

"You want to hear more information?" he said, coming back to her side.

"Will you drone on and on?" Rose teased.

"Well, you have a choice. Listen to me or watch sand."

"Good point, carry on."

"Sand," the Doctor said, pointing to the desert. "Water," he said, pointing down.

Rose giggled when he froze with his mouth open while he pretended to think of something else.

"Blast, Egypt is rubbish," he said, walking away while Rose bent over the side of the ship laughing.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The Doctor and Rose expected the royals to give the commands but they seemed to rely more on the slaves so eventually the Doctor and Rose began to explore the ship since the scenery really didn't change. They went below and stared at the men using the oars. They were all naked except for a loincloth and sweat rolled down their brow while they moved the oars in unison. The men were chanting in unison in order to keep time with the rhythm of their rowing.

"Are they slaves?" Rose said softly to the Doctor.

"Not sure, they used both servants and slaves," the Doctor said. "They're not chained to the wall so they might be volunteers. But on the other hand, there's nowhere to run to so they might be slaves."

"I'm beginning to think it's all the same," Rose said, shaking her head.

They walked on and examined the rest of the boat. There were a few mats on the floor and some of the crew was napping while a few slaves stood over them and fanned them. Rose shook her head again at the inequality of making people stand in the intense heat and cramped space of the lower deck and fan other people. She wished she was the Pharaoh so she could make some real changes in the country. But she knew that was a pipe dream so she had to be content with being allowed to roam the boat with the Doctor at her side.

At the back of the boat was a painting of a being with a man's body and the head of a crocodile. The being was wearing a cloth head covering like the Pharaoh's wore with a snake at the front of it. Beside him was hieroglyphic writing.

"Hail, mighty Sobek," the Doctor read to Rose. "Guardian of the sacred Nile, provide safe passage for this boat in return for our adoration of your majesty."

"Crocodile god?" Rose said to the Doctor.

"Crocodiles are feared here," the Doctor said with a shrug. "People have been snatched off the shore while they wash their linen or fish. So they worship him in the hopes that he will be benevolent."

"And keep his crocodile pets away from the people?" Rose said.

"Wouldn't you if you were in danger of being killed by one?" the Doctor said. "I'm sure some of the servants in the palace face that danger whenever they wash the laundry. They don't have a launderette in the palace, you know."

"Did you have something to do with this?"

"Do I have something to do with what?" the Doctor said, confused.

"The Egyptian gods."

The Doctor stared at her, even more confused.

"Why would I be responsible for that?" he said.

"Because I know you. You keep talking about how you were involved with this or invented that. Come on, you invented the gods, didn't ya!" she teased.

"I told you I was Osiris, I believe I mentioned that earlier," the Doctor teased back with a huge grin on his face.

"So who was this? A companion of yours?" Rose said, pointing to Sobek.

"Um…no, I never had a crocodile for a companion," the Doctor said.

"You never had a woman with reeeeeally horrible scaly skin?" Rose teased, waggling her fingers at him.

"Well, there was Hortrude. She had a bit of sciatica once," the Doctor said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps someone saw her and thought she was a reptile and it got back to Egypt."

"Hortrude?" Rose said as they walked away.

"Yes. Hortrude Bellaflop, also known as Hortrude the Itchy due to the times she had to scratch to relieve the itch of her skin," the Doctor said. "She helped me by shaking her head and throwing dandruff on a Dalek and the Dalek fled in terror. I took pity on the poor thing and took her with me but I had to delouse her frequently and give her creams so it was a full time job keeping her noncontagious."

Rose laughed and the Doctor winked at her.

"So did aliens build the pyramids then? Did you build the pyramids?" she added, poking his side.

"You think I do everything, don't you?" the Doctor said as he stopped walking.

"Yes. This is your planet and you're responsible for everything in it," Rose said, stopping with him. "You're the secret emperor of Earth and you've been secretly building up Earth and its civilizations since the beginning."

"My, you have quite an active imagination," the Doctor said as they resumed walking.

"So, what was it like being Osiris and ruling over everyone?" Rose said.

"Yup, active imagination," the Doctor said as he pretended to inspect a splinter in a piece of wood.

"So when people die, do they go to you?" Rose said, poking his side.

"This splinter shouldn't be here, they needed to sandpaper this section better," the Doctor murmured, pointing to the splinter while he ignored Rose.

"Osiris," Rose said, poking him.

She froze when the Doctor suddenly pulled a piece of wood out of the wall. He had found a small groove near the splinter, put his fingers inside it and pulled. He looked around to make sure no one except Rose was watching before he put his hand inside the small hole. He pulled a small leather-bound book out of the hole and showed it to Rose.

"They don't have books at this point in history; they write on papyrus and store them as scrolls."

"So what is a book doing here?" Rose said while the Doctor nodded.

He replaced the piece of wood and beckoned to Rose to follow him. They went to the other side of the lower deck where it was fairly secluded. There was a bit of light coming from the long slit that the oars went through and the Doctor used that and his enhanced eyesight to start reading through the book while Rose waited patiently for him to tell her his findings. The heat was slowly rising below deck and Rose wiped the sweat off her brow as fast as she could while it dripped down her face. The Doctor wasn't affected by it which made her jealous of his alien physiology. She knew something was wrong when she suddenly saw the surprise and then disbelief on his face.

"What is it?" Rose said.

"A journal, that's what it is," the Doctor said. "A record of alien intervention in Egyptian civilization."

"So aliens really did build the pyramids?" Rose said.

"Yes but it goes beyond that. Aliens have been posing not only as the gods but acting as viziers to the Pharaohs and helping them to rule," the Doctor said. "Why is this here though?"

He flipped through the pages rapidly and a folded note fell out of the back and fell on the floor. Rose picked it up and unfolded it while the Doctor watched.

"Dear Doctor," she said, giving him a pointed look after reading that. "I left this journal for you because I remember you would find it. This is a brief history of alien activity concerning the Egyptian civilization. There is more but I decided not to include everything, only the most important parts. Read on and you'll find out the reason why you were meant to find this. Good luck."

Her eyes bulged.

"It's signed The Eleventh Doctor," she said, handing the note to him. "So at some point in future, you come back here and put the book in this ship because he remembered finding it in the ship as you?"

"Wibbly wobbly timey wimey," the Doctor said. "Not the first time something like this has happened to me."

"So I wonder what information you need from the book then," Rose said.

"Well…since this isn't the property of the Pharaoh, I can read it openly so let's go up on deck where there's more light."

"No argument from me, I'm sweating to death down here," Rose said.

The Doctor took her hand and they walked over to the ladder that led to the upper deck.


End file.
